Do I Care About Ziva? – NCIS

When Eli David was assassinated, my relationship with NCIS as a viewer terminated. He reminded me of people I’d known along the way. Only a marginal viewer, my ears & eyes perked up whenever Eli was on or mentioned. Nobody lives forever. Everyone is expendable. I know the company speech. But I liked the guy. So the loss of Ziva doesn’t force me to select sides in the pro and anti Ziva battle. I had already moved on.

Hopefully that answers the direct and veiled questions I’ve seen popping up every so often in retweets to me, or DM, or comments here, or in emails. What side am I on?

My own side is where I stand.

I will praise pro Ziva forces when they launch a marvelous campaign such as sending goldfish to CBS. I will admonish them if I see unfair comments directed to current— or even new— NCIS agents.

By the same token if the anti Ziva contingent comes up with a creative campaign I will publicize that. Just as I will challenge comments that are without foundation or validation.

Who am I to pass judgment? Just a guy in the shadows with no loyalties to either side.

I’ve already said my piece. Bringing Ziva back would be a public relations and programming coup for CBS— but only if she and Tony were spun off into an NCIS-NYC type venture. Everybody wins.

She doesn’t return to NCIS flagship which would please the anti-Zivas. She returns to a NCIS franchise to please the pro-Zivas. CBS can accounting-wise give her more money now as the co-star, rather than supporting cast member. And sponsors know the spin-off show hits the ground running with a built-in and fiercely loyal fan base.

But what do I know? Indeed, what do I know…. RIP Eli David.

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As far as I know, there is no “anti” group, just a bunch of individuals who do not want to see the dysfunctional, rather abusive, relationship that is known as “Tiva.” That means that the “win-win” situation you describe is “lose-lose” for many Tony fans. I like Tony on NCIS, Senior Field Agent to Gibbs. You want to put Ziva in her own show, fine, try it (I don’t think Cote wants to work in a series at the moment, but that’s just a feeling); just don’t break up the team at the mothership. You are obviously leaning toward the Ziva side and may not be able to understand the reasoning behind not wanting Ziva to return to the show or be paired up with Tony. The fact that you see a romantic relationship between the two characters is sign that we see things differently.

To make things clear, I am not a fan of the “Tibbs” relationship (the romantic pairing of Gibbs and Tony) and I liked Ziva until Season 6, so my views aren’t that of some rabid anti-Ziva fanatic who’s hated her from the start. Mine are the views of someone who watched a showrunner (Shane Brennan) tear apart a character for dramatic purposes, only to be surprised to find that many people reacted the way I did; turned against the character. I even felt that there was a chance to “fix” things, but they chose to ignore the damage and, in a way, create more. This is old news and doesn’t need to be rehashed.

When I am wrong, I will admit it; I am a man who will get out of the car when lost and ask for directions. The people opposed to Ziva are not a group in the sense there are leaders. Seems to be more of an “occupy movement” of people. Similar feelings gravitating together even if loosely in a common cause. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That said, could you expound on “abusive” relationship. That’s not a term I would express lightly.

I didn’t say I wanted her on a series of her own. I was trying to get across that this is a no-win scenario for CBS; the only viable exit maneuver is a diversion. Bring Ziva back into the fold to please her fans. But not to NCIS flagship to please the staus quo. At the same time CBS/NCIS have had one failed spin-off (50/50 are not good odds, especially when you look at the track records of CSI and Law & Order).

As for romantic relationship, from what I could see Tony followed Ziva to be captured to save her, followed her on her vendetta, followed her to eventually say good bye. On other hand I don’t see the Tibbs thing at all.

Breaking up the mothership? It’s all a chess game. People, actors, covert operatives. You go where you are told, when you are told to serve the greater good. Be it for queen & country or the almighty Nielsen ratings/advertising dollar. Personally if I was the Director or SecNav, I’d wonder why Tony isn’t getting on with his career… being in charge of a field office by this point. Don’t tell me that’s where the Tibbs stuff comes in?

And thanks for commenting… I learn a little more by each engagement. Knowledge is power.

I have no interest in censoring the free speech of individuals. On either side of this debate or any other discussion. So I approved. But next time, please take the caps lock off. I respectfully request that of everyone. Don’t know and don’t care what other sites allow. I expect cogent arguments, no lazy writing using profanity as a crutch, and if someone is going to express a statement as fact rather than a belief, I want to see substantiation. Knowledge is power.

Indeed entertainment. But wouldn’t you say entertainment can be a catharsis for the general populace, or even a fragmented segment. Take the rabid fans of Breaking Bad, or Walking Dead. On the other hand, since I said I stopped being a regular viewer when the side character of Eli was dispensed with, I prove your point. Thanks for commenting.

One can discuss a show in-depth without actually losing sight of reality. For many, it’s a distraction, a release – something they can discuss that really doesn’t affect us in any tangible way, but interests us enough to want to talk about. It would be nice for our sanity to be given the benefit of the doubt.